Vertical mill



y 1958 J. w. O'BRIEN 3,

VERTICAL MILL Filed Sept. 22, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY May 21, 1968 J. w. OIBRIIEN VERTICAL MILL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1964 I I Illl' Il P1 .2 g INVENTOR JERl-MMH n/. a'aR/E/v V ATTORNEK y 21, 1968 J. w. O'BRIEN 3,383,897

VERTICAL MILL Filed Sept. 22, 1964 S Sheets-Sheet s mvz 'zvron. JEREMMH K Oak/67V a m dw ATTOAAEV.

United States Patent 3,383,897 VERTICAL MILL Jeremiah Wagner Gllrien, Mount Lebanon, Pittsburgh,

Pa., assignor to United Engineering and Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 398,321 Claims priority, application Great Britain, (let. 8, 1963, 39,568/63 7 laims. (Cl. 72238) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a vertical rolling mill having an inner housing which inner housing is received in an outer housing and adapted to move vertically relative to the outer housing from an operating position to a roll changing position. The inner housing receives a pair of rolls which are removable from and replaced into the inner housing through an opening formed in the outer housing. The outer housing carries a pair of screws for moving one of the rolls horizontally relative to the other. In addition, a second pair of screws is provided for moving the inner housing vertically in which in its roll changing position the inner housing is adapted to be positioned on stops. The rolls of the mill are driven through spindles which are connected to the second pair of screws in a manner to allow movement of the spindles when the inner housing is in both its operating position and its roll changing position.

The present invention relates to rolling mills and, more particularly, to a vertical mill of the type presently employed in the rolling of elongated billets, bars and the like.

In order to obtain the maximum production efficiency of such mills, continuous effort has been made to minimize the time necessary to accomplish the changing of the rolls thereof. In the earlier mills the rolls, which normally consisted of a cooperative pair, were usually changed individually by assistance of an overhead mill crane. In more modern mills, the mills were constructed so as to enable both of the rolls to be changed simultaneouslyagain by the employment of the overhead mill crane. At best, these methods of roll changing involve a considerable amount of time and expense both in equipment and labor. In addition to the time necessary for the crane to lift the rolls from the mill, much difiiculty is experienced and, as a result, much time is lost when the rolls are put back into the mill in properly positioning the ends of the rolls in the driving spindles.

Moreover, usually the more modern mills are provided with roll pull-back systems which must be disconnected from the chocks of the rolls in order to permit the changing of the rolls. This then necessitates a reconnection of the pull-back assembly when the rolls are reinserted in the mills. Further, much ditiiculty is experienced in such mills in properly positioning the spindles that drive the rolls so that, as the rolls are inserted into the mill, the rolls and spindles will be in alignment for their interengagement. Still another disadvantage of present-day mills of the type under discussion is the lack of versatility in not providing for efficient changing of the rolls singly or in pairs, as the emergency dictates.

A good example of the construction of previous mills may be seen in referring to US. Patent No. 2,583,844 that issued to W. J. Hill et al. on Jan. 29, 1952 entitled Vertical Bar and Billet Mill.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a vertical mill having inner and outer housings which are constructed and arranged to afford one or more of the following procedures of roll removal: (1) individually changing the rolls of the mill, (2) changing the rolls in pairs, (3) removing vertically from the outer housing the entire inner housing with the supported rolls, and (4) in certain instances removing the inner housing including the rolls horizontally from the outer housing at which time a duplicate inner housing will be automatically positioned within the outer housing. Thus, in the last form the invention contemplates providing a fully automatic roll changing arrangement, wherein the inner housing and rolls can be quickly removed from the outer housing. At the same time a similar housing and new roll arrangement is automatically positioned in the outer housing which will obviously reduce the roll changing time to a very minimum, when considering that the rolls and guides of the new housing can be precisely adjusted for immediate operation. Should however, in view of the various operational conditions and attending circumstances, it be desirable to change the rolls either individually, or in pairs, or the inner housing vertically, the present invention possesses the required versatility to accomplish these objectives.

With reference to the automatic changing of the rolls by removal and replacement of the inner housing of the mill, the invention contemplates the employment of support ledges formed on the outer housing of the mill. The employment of these support ledges makes possible at least two significant advantages: one, they allow the inner housing to be placed upon the ledges whereby the spindles can be moved away from the ends of the rolls so that when a new roll housing arrangement has been set into the mill, the spindles can be brought back into engagement with the rolls. This arrangement has the desirable advantage of easily facilitating the disconnecting and connecting of the spindles and the rolls, since it is easier to position the spindles relative to the axes of the rolls and bring them into engagement than to attempt to position the rolls relative to the spindles. Second, the employment of the ledges on the outer housing enables rails to be arranged within the mill that line up these ledges, thereby forming a continuous guiding and supporting surface for the inner housing. In this way, an arrangement is provided whereby the inner housing can be shifted out of the outer housing and at the same time a second inner housing can be automatically positioned within the outer housing.

The present invention also provides a pull-back arrangement which will not necessitate any disconnection. of parts or manual assistance. More particularly, the present invention provides for securing a hook to the roll assembly which engages a hook connected to the pull-back arrangement that is supported by the inner housing. One of these hooks has the ability to move away from the other in the event of misalignment of the hooks when the roll assembly is placed in the mill.

Another feature of the in ention is addressed to an arrangement for automatically positioning the spindle that drives the roll and the coupling provided on the spindles that connects the spindles to the end of the roll. More particularly, this feature is addressed to providing a yieldable means in the drive end of the spindle which, when the roll is removed from the coupling of the spindle, the yieldable means will force the spindle against a fixed stop thereby preventing it from falling out of line with respect to the roll as the latter is brought into the mill. In conjunction with this yieldable means, the coupling at the roll end of the spindle is likewise adapted to be brought against a stop through the employment of a yieldable means whereby the coupling itself is held in axial alignment with respect to the axis of the spindle.

In one form of the invention there is provided an outer housing which supports, but yet permits relative vertical movement of an inner housing, the outer housing rotatably receiving a pair of vertical rolls having a number of workpieces forming openings, each roll having bearings at its opposife ends, means for interconnecting the checks of at least one roll, which means includes a first means of a pullback mechanism for the associated roll, a second means of said pull-back mechanism supported by the inner housing constructed and arran ed to automatically engage and disengage the r .t means of the p. ll-bac: mechanism when the roll is removed from the mill, means carried by said inner housing for adjusting at least one roll relative to the other, a ledge or rail arranged on the outer housing adapted to support the inner housing when the latter is in its rcll-cl'iangin position, means for dr'ving the rolls, including universal spindles which are automatically disconnectable from the ends of the roll, means for moving the inner housing and spindle in unison to posilion the openings of the rolls coincident to a predetermined plane, and to place said inner housing upon said ledge or rails at which time said spindles \till move away from said rolls, and means for maintaining said spin les and couplings in a predetermined position relative to said rolls.

These features, as well as various others, will become more apparent when the following descriu'ion is read in light of the accompanying drawi .gs of wine .1

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a vertical mill incorporating the features of present invention and showing, in phantom, a replacement inner housing;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on lines lIII of 1 or" roll adjustment and roll pull-back mechanism of one of the rolls illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a large elevational view, partly in section, of the coupling spindle arrangement illustrated in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a part sectional part end view in a regular plane end of the mill; and

FIGURE 5 is a partial plane view of the mill illustrated in FIGURE 1.

With reference to the description of the illustrated mill, reference is again made to the aforesaid Hill et al. patent in which connection many of the individual components of the mill illustrated in the applicants drawings are clearly set forth. With reference to FIGURES l and 4 of the present drawings, there is illustrated the vertical stand of a bar rniil comprising two open top, vertically arranged, spaced-apart outer housings l1 12 secured at their base to bedplates 13 by large bolts 34 and reinforced at the top by tension bolts 14a.

As shown in FIGURE 4, in looking at the side of the housing 11, the housings are provided with elongated windows 15 into which is received the inner frame of the mill which consists of two horizontally arranged spaced-apart housings 16 and 17, shown best in FIG- URE 1, arranged to extend into and between the windows 15 of each of the outer housings 11 and 12. The housings 16 and 1'7 at their opposite ends are rigidly connected together by vertically disposed separators 13 and 19. Each of the housings 15 and 17 have elongated horizontal windows 28 shown in FIGURES 2 and 5. To the upper surface of the housing 16, lugs 23a are provided which enable the inner housing assembly to be lifted out of the housings 16 and 17 by a crane.

Into the windows 20 there are arranged identical, cooperative pairs of bar mill rolls 21 and 22, into which are machined in the usual manner a number of workpiece grooves, not shown. These rolls are provided with the usual chock assemblies that receive radial and thrust bearings which, to some extent, are shown in the sectional portion of FIGURE 1. At the upper ends of the rolls, as shown in FIGURE 1, links 2% are secured to the adjacent chocks by which means the rolls can be individually or simultaneously removed from the inner housings l6 and 17.

in order to adjust the pass between the rolls 2i and 22, that is to say, the openings between the rolls, the roll 22 is associated with a pair of spaced-apart screws 25, as shown in FIGURE 1, which extend through the housings and 17, being received in individual nuts 26. The ends of the screws are adapted to engage with the chocks of the roll 22. The screws are driven from a common motorgear driving unit 27 which is connected to the screws by a gear train consisting of three gears, the center one acting as an idler gear. The drive 27 and the gears 28 are mounted on the separator 19 that extends between the inner housings l6 and 17. It will be appreciated that, if desired, a screw adjustment arrangement for the rolls 21 can also be employed.

in order to mail. and forcibly against the housings in and 17 and the ends of the screws 25, respectively, thereby assuring that positive ad tstmen and control will be obtained, roll pullback or balances are provided which are best shown in FlGU-RES 1 and 2 with respect to the roll 22. As shown, the roll balance for this roll consists of a Ll-shaped member 3-1 which is received and guided horiitally in the separator 19. member 31 is traversed re ive to the separator by a piston cylinder assembly 32 also carried by the separator 19-. To the inner end of the member 31 there is provided a pivotally mounted hook 233 having its opening i-Tfalfl the top of the mill. The Chocks of the roll 22 are interconnected by a vertica ly arranged bar 3 to which there is secured an out- 'ly horizor ly projecting book 35 so formed as to engage with the J3 of the roll balance arrangement. The pivotal mounting of the hook 33 protects it against any shock to .s i ident to the hook 35 hitting nst it during the replacement of the roll 22 should the roll not be properly positioned in the horizontal direction.

h reference to FIGURE 2 it will be seen that the book 33 is provided with two arms 36 that extend awa rom a pivot pin 37. These arms serve as counterweiglits so that the hook 33 is always urged into its engaging posh tion as ill ted in FIGURE 1. FIGURE 2 illust the relationsliip that the hooks bear to the screws in which it will be noted that they are positioned on either side thereof.

In again referring to the rolls 21 and 22, as shown in 3, it will be noted that the lower end thereof provided with extensions 41 which include flat driving surfaces that cooperate with corresponding surfaces of universal couplings if. and 43. T. couplings, as best shown in FIGURE 3, with respect to the coupl'ngs each comprises an external member 44, the lower end of which has internal teeth formed thereon which mesh with the teeth 46 formed in an internal memher 47. T a. internal members 47 are constructed as intogral parts of spindles 4E; and 49. The lower ends of the spindles have secured thereto internal member 51 of universal couplings 52 and 53. These couplings are made similar to the couplings 42 and 43 having t wth 54 formed on the external coupling member 55a. The couplings 52 and 53 have at their lower ends teeth 56 which mesh with teeth 57 formed on a sleeve member 58 and by which means the driving torque is transmitted to the spindles 43 and The sleeves 58 are formed as integral parts of inner shafts 59 and 60, having their lower ends splined and extending downwardly into the drive 61 of the mill. The drive, as shown only in FiGURE 1, comprises mating gears 62 and 63, having internally splined openings to receive the lower ends of the shafts 59 and 69, the gear as also having extended lower shaft portion 64 to which is secured a bull gear 65 which meshes with a gear 66. On the one end of the gear d6 is secured a bevel gear 67 that meshes with a mating bevel gear 68 to which an electrical motor, not shown, is connected by a shaft Returning again to the couplings 42 and 43, as shown FIGURE 3, it will be noted that toward the lower ends there are provided angular rings 72 which have fiat surfaces across from the adjacent side of the coupling member 47. Also, it will be notcd, in referring to the the chocks or" the rolls 2 coupling 42, that in the interior of the coupling member 44, there is provided a horizontal plate 73, which is formed as an integral part of the coupling member 44. The center of the plate 73 is engaged by plunger 74 which is connected to a retaining plate 75 which is urged vertically toward the mill by a spring 76, the spring being received in an opening 77 of the spindle 43. The tension of the spring 77 is adjusted by a nut 78 provided on a bolt 79, the upper end of which is connected to the retainer plate '75.

It will be noted that FIGURE 3 shows the fiat portion 41 of the roll 21 in its operative position with respect to the coupling 42 wherein the ring 72 is out of engagement with the coupling member 47 and the spring 76 is compressed. It is the function of the spring and the particular design of the coupling that has been described that when the roll has been removed from the coupling the spring will urge the plate 73 upwardly, hence causing the coupling to move upwardly until the ring 72 engages the adjacent side of the internal coupling member 47. When this occurs, the coupling will be prevented from falling over and thereby keep it in axial alignment with respect to the axis of the spindle 48.

With reference now to the couplings 52 and 53, it will be first noted with respect to'the coupling 52 that at its upper end there is provided a ring 82, which has a surface adapted to be engaged by the adjacent surface of the internal coupling member 51 of the spindle 48. The lower end of the spindle 48 is provided with an opening 83 into which is inserted a plate 84 that is engaged by the upper end of a plunger 85. The plunger 85 is received in an opening 86 formed in the shaft 59. Also received in the opening 86 is a spring 87, the upper end of which engages the plunger 85, thereby tending to move the spindle 48 in an upward direction. Such movement will only actually be accomplished when the roll is removed from the coupling 42, when in the absence of the weight of the roll, the spring 87 will urge the spindle 48 upwardly so that the adjacent surface of the inner coupling member 51 will engage the surface of the ring 82 which contact will prevent the spindle from tilting.

The inner housings 16 and 17 are moved vertically so that any one of the passes of the rolls 21 and 22 can be lined up with a predetermined horizontal steel line by a pair of screws 90 and 91. With reference again to FIG- URE 1, at the lower ends of these screws, there are provided worm-wheel sets 92, the worms of which are interconnected by a shaft 93 and driven by a motor 94 arranged beneath the mill. Attention is drawn to the construction of the top of the screws in which regard it will be noted that the ends of the screws are received in blocks 95, the upper surfaces of which are flat serving as loadbearing surfaces for engagement with the lower housing 17. By this construction the motion of the screws are transmitted to the housings 16 and 17, but since there is no direct interconnection between the housing 17 and the blocks 95, these members can be automatically disengaged from each other as will be presently noted.

As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 the spindles 48 and 49 are actually carried by the screws 90 and 91 which is accomplished by providing at the lower portion of the mill a horizontal carrier beam 96, the opposite ends of which are secured to the screws at the region of the blocks 95. Between the spindles, extending directly parallel thereto, there is provided a pair of carrier links 97 that is connected at the top to the beam 96 by pins 98 and at the bottom to the shafts 59 and 60 by pins 99. In this manner on the movement of the screws 90 and 91 the spindles and couplings will also be raised and lowered in unison, the splined connection between the pinions and the ends of the shafts 59 and 60 allowing for the relative movement between the spindle shafts and the gears 62 and 63.

With reference to FIGURES l and 4, it will be noted that the lower housing 17 has protruding from its lower surface feet 101 and that, as best shown in FIGURE 4, the outer housings 11 and 12, at their lower ends are provided with ledges 102 which are adapted to be engaged by the feet 101 formed on the housing 17. In alignment with the ledges 102 there is provided a pair of rails 103 that extend between the housings 11 and 12 and on either side thereof for a considerable distance, thus the ledges and the rails form a continuous supporting and guiding surface for the inner housings 17 and 18 whereby they can be slid horizontally out of the windows 15 of the housings 11 and 12. Such movement may be accomplished in a number of ways, in which regard in the illustrated drawings to carry out this objective there is provided at the right-hand side of the housing 17 a clevis 104 which is adapted to be connected to the rod 105 of a piston cylinder assembly 106. In this way, on the operation of the piston cylinder assembly, the inner housings including the roll assemblies, can be quickly removed from the housings 11 and 12. At the same time, and during the same movement, a duplicate inner housing assembly can be positioned within the housings 11 and 12. For this purpose there is provided at the lefthand side of the housings 17, as one views FIGURE 1, a link 107 which, as illustrated in phantom, is connectable to a second inner housing assembly by a link 108.

From the above description of the illustrated mill, it can be thus appreciated that a mill design has been provided which affords each and every one of the objects and advantages earlier set forth in this specification. Thus, an operator has the option and the ability to either change the rolls 21 and 22 individually by the employment of an overhead crane wherein the hook of the crane will engage the links 24 of the rolls. Secondly, should it be desired to lift the inner housings 16 and 17 vertically, this can be done by engaging the lugs 20:! and by a crane lifting the housings 16 and 17 from the housings 11 and 12. Of course, it will be necessary to remove and detach certain elements, such as, the usual keeper plates and the tension bolts 14a of the housings 11 and 12 that are mounted at the top thereof. Should it be desired to keep the roll-changing time to a minimum, then the operator has the ability to remove the inner housings horizontally by the operation of the piston cylinder assembly 106, so that the inner housings will slide over the rails 103 and second similar housings will be positioned within the housings 11 and 12.

Irrespective of which of the roll-changing procedures may be employed prior to the removal of the roll, screws and 91 will be rotated so as to cause the feet 101 of the housing 17 to engage the ledges 102 formed on the inner housings 11 and 12. After this occurs, the screws will continue to be rotated whereby the blocks will pull away from the housing 17 and the couplings 42 and 43 will pass free of the lower ends 41 of the rolls 21 and 22. Prior to this the horizontal adjusting screws 25 will also have been operated to position the rolls in a predetermined horizontal position. Upon the removal of the rolls the springs 76 and 87 will combine their efforts to maintain the couplings 42 and 43 and the spindles 48 and 49 in a vertical position so that when the new rolls are set back in the mill, the screws 90' and 91 will again be rotated to cause the spindles to pass over the ends of the rolls which will take place prior to the housing 17 being raised off the ledges 102.

It is well known that ocrtain types of mills provide for driving the rolls from the top instead of the bottom. In this connection it will be appreciated that the pledge 192 and rails 103 could be arranged to support the inner roll housings from the top instead of from the bottom, as illustrated.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a vertical rolling mill comprising:

an outer housing having an open top,

aninner housing received in said outer housing and having relative to said outer housing an operating position and a roll-changing position,

a pair of vertically arranged rolls received in and carried by said inner housing adapted to be quickly removed from and replaced into said inner housing through said open top in said outer housing,

bearing-chock assemblies contained in said inner housing carried at the ends of each roll,

means carried by said inner housing for adjusting one of said rolls relative to said other roll in a longitudinal direction,

a pair of power driven screws arranged so as to move the inner housing whenever said housing is in its operative position, stop means permanently mounted to be selectively engaged by said inner housing for supporting said inner housing when the inner housing is in its roll-changing position,

means for driving said roll including individual spindles for each roll,

means connecting said spindles to said screws in a manner to effect movement of said spindles when the said inner housing is both in its operating position and in its roll changing position, whereby said inner housing is movable from its operative position to its roll-changing position Where it assumes a supporting relationship with said stop means and said spindles are movable away from said rolls in which position said rolls can be removed from and replaced into said inner housing. 2. In a vertical rolling mill, according to claim 11, including means for maintaining said spindles in their driving positions relative to said rolls when they are disengaged from said rolls.

3. In a vertical rolling mill, according to claim 2, in which said means for maintaining said spindles in their drive p'ositions comprise yieldable means located at the lower ends of each said spindles,

couplings for connecting said spindles to said rolls,

yieldable means arranged at each of said spindle ends adjacent said couplings for maintaining said couplings in their driving positions when they are disengaged from said rolls.

4. 'In a. vertical rolling mill, according to claim 1, wherein said spindle that drives the adjustable roll is constructed to move with the roll when the roll is adjusted, and including means for maintaining the spindle in the adjusted position when the roll with which it is associated is removed from the mill.

5. In a vertical rolling mill, according to claim 1, wherein said inner and outer housings are so constructed that said inner housing, with all its components, is quickly removable from and replaceable into said outer housing through said open top thereof.

6. In a vertical rolling mill according to claim 1, in-

cluding,

detachable from said projections of said interconnecting means.

7. In a vertical rolling mill according to claim 6 in which said detachable member is pivotally carried by said pull-back means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,011,686 8/ 1935 Mikaelson et al. 72- 2'39 2,491,286 12/ 1949 Sheperdson et al. 722 38 2,575,231 11/ 1951 OMalley 72-239 2,583,844 1/1952 Hill et al. 72- 239 2,603,990 7/1952 Sheperdson et al. 72-238 2,927,488 8/1960 Petereit 72238 3,194,045 7/1965 Hill 72-288 3,222,901 12/1965 Hill 72-239 RICHARD J. HERBST, Primary Examiner. 

